"Nana... how old was dad when he had his first seizure?" Darcy asks as her and Anne are sat at the dining room table, Harry doing some house work and Louis having gone back up to Doncaster to see his family a few days ago, and now on his way back and the twins running around in the lounge room.
Darcy and Anne talking about Harry's history with seizures and epilepsy. "He's always had absences and complex partials, but the first time he had big one was when he was about five, we were hosting a big family get together and he'd been complaining of a headache all day, so I'd given him some pain relief and told him to have a nap... then just as we were all about to start eating dinner, he... he just fell over and started shaking, and then when I got to the hospital, because they didn't let me go with him, he had another one... they did some tests and diagnosed him with epilepsy." Darcy nods, sipping her tea and smiling as Harry comes into the dining room with a cup of tea in his hand.
"Sorry mum, it's just with Lou in Doncaster I've got so much to do... and you young lady, did you do the dishes like I asked?" Darcy nods, telling him that she also cleaned the lounge room. "Thank you babe, I don't know what I'd do without you when Papa isn't here." He kisses her head making her blush a little.
They talk for a while more, until Anne has to go. "Say bye bye Nana." Harry says to the twins as he waves to Anne, they do so too, waving as she drives down the road.
"Ok, papa should be home soon guys, should I call him and ask him to get us some dinner?" Harry asks the three children as they all sit down in the lounge room. "Yes please daddy!" The twins say in unison, making Harry chuckle. "Yes please dad, I don't care what it is." Darcy says, snuggling into his side. "Ok, what shall we get babies? What about some pizza?" The twins nod, asking for Darcy to put on a movie.
"I'm home my babies!" Louis says as he opens the door, hearing the screams of his hand Harry's twins.
"Papa!" They giggles as he hugs them. "Have you been good for daddy?" They nods, pulling him into the lounge room. "Hey Darc, have you three been good for dad? Not been giving him a hard time?" Darcy shakes her head, kissing Louis' cheek.
Louis smiles at her. "That's good to hear, now where is your other father?" Darcy points to the kitchen, mumbling about Harry getting plates. "Ok, thanks babes... don't worry about plates. We'll just use our hands." The three children nod, eating the pizza once it's set down.
"Haz baby, what are you doing?" Louis asks as he sees Harry stood in front of the sink, pulling at his clothes and smacking his lips together. "Hey baby, you're ok... I'm right here, almost over bub. Just a little longer, you're doing so well babe." Louis hums as Harry continues to look out the window blankly. "C'mon darling, come out of it for me." But before Harry can safely come out of the small seizure, his whole body tenses, forcing him to fall backwards, though before his stiff body can collide with the floor Louis catches him.
"Wha'? Lou?" Harry asks groggily as he sits up in Louis' grasp, the tonic seizure only lasting a few seconds. "Yeah baby, it's ok... you had a seizure babe, just relax for me yeah?" Harry sighs, leaning against Louis as the older man peppers kisses to the top of his head and his forehead. "Do you wanna go and have some pizza?" Harry nods, standing with Louis and walking out to the lounge room. "Darcy, can you please get me a plate?" Harry says, sitting down on the couch. The teenager nods, quickly getting Harry a plate. "Thanks baby." He smiles, taking the plate and grabbing a piece of pizza.
After a nice dinner, and a bath for the twins, everyone is about ready for the family's weekly movie. "What are we gunna watch?" Louis smiles to the three children as they sit on couch. "Wanna watch Shrek!" Ollie squeals, bouncing in his seat. "Ok, you wanna watch Shrek too?" Louis questions, looking at a tired Grace - who is cuddled on Darcy's lap. Darcy nods, smiling as Harry comes in and sits next to her.
"I'm gunna put Gracie to bed, and I don't think Ollie will be far behind." Harry whispers to Darcy as he stands with his and Louis' youngest, walking up to the twins room and quietly putting her in bed. He comes back down to see her brother passed out on Louis. "Sit down Haz, I'll put him to bed." Harry nods, kissing Louis as he walks past and sitting next to Darcy.
Darcy and Harry are trying to find a movie when the feeling hits him, it starts with a funny taste in his mouth - he's probably just cut his gum or something - but then his fingers begins to spasm and his head begins to hurt. "D-Darcy...." He swallows thickly, his hands trembling as he tries to fist his shirt. "Wan'.... wan' Leh...." He struggles to slur, watching as his daughter quickly runs up to her other father.
"Shit, ok baby... you're alright, let's get you on the ground ok? C'mon, it's alright, you're alright." Harry groans as Louis picks him up, making the older boy kiss his head. "Darc baby, I want you to go and get the spare camera. Dad wanted me to film the big seizure he had." Darcy nods, getting said camera and turning it on.
Louis looks at the camera and swallows thickly. "So Harry wanted me to film one of his big fits for you guys," Before he can go on, Harry tugs on his sleeve and tries to utter something to him. "It's ok baby, you don't have to talk... um.... as you can see, he's pretty out of it, which is, it's pretty normal." Louis smiles sadly to Harry as the younger boy struggles to remain conscious. "It's alright darling, just let it happen... don't fight it." He gently helps Harry on to his side, then brushes a piece of hair from his eyes as the twitching starts.
"You've gotta make sure they're comfortable, Darc, can you pass me a pillow?" Darcy nods, grabbing a pillow and handing it to Louis. "Make sure their head is cushioned," Harry starts to shake, letting out wounded noises and weeing himself. "Shhh it's ok baby, don't put anything in their mouth cause you break their teeth... and don't hold them down, that's one of the worst things you can do, if you do they might hurt themselves or you.... then you just have to wait it out, you don't wanna touch them either." The older man gently moves the pillow beneath Harry's head and watching as he helplessly seizes, his body moving in inhuman ways. He lets out a shaky breath and talks again. "One of the big triggers for a seizure for Harry is stress.... when his anxiety spikes then he's way more likely to have a seizure, you and twins have been good yeah? Not giving dad a hard time?"
Darcy shakes her head. "Grace has been a little funny lately... she won't go to sleep unless dads with her." Louis nods, sighs as the seizure intensifies for a few seconds then slowly stops and Harry wees himself once more.
"Hey baby, you're ok... you had a seizure so we've just gotta take it easy for a while yeah?" Louis says soothingly, gesturing Darcy to come closer with the camera. "Now for any one who doesn't know about epilepsy, or seizures this is what doctors call the posictal state." Louis watches as Harry's lips increase in blue colour. "Breath babe, c'mon breath for me..... c'mon Harry, breath baby. I know you can do it." He worries, gently tapping Harry's cheek to try and wake him a little more, and it proves to work as soon loud snoring noises fill the room as Harry tries to breath, spitting and coughing up mucus and bloodied saliva.
Louis smiles gently as Harry starts to come to, rubbing his arm in a soothing way. "Harry darling, can you look at me?" He gently asks, watching his husband peers around the room, then slowly looks in his direction. "Hey, you're alright, we've just gotta give you time yeah? You had seizure." He carefully helps Harry remove his entangled fingers from his medical alert necklace, kissing his knuckles and placing the hand on his husbands stomach.
"When they start to come to, you wanna try and help them stay comfortable, and usually ask them a few questions like 'what's your name' or 'what's my name', keep them calm and once they're lucid enough maybe offer them some water... can you grab dad a glass of water? Remember a straw too." Darcy nods, quickly walking out to the kitchen and fetching Harry a glass of water. "Do you think we can sit you up?" Louis asks him as Darcy sets the water on table, Harry weakly tries to tug on his shirt. "Are you hot bub? We'll get your shirt off in a second, we just need you to come back a little more." Harry whines, tugging on his shirt and letting a few tears slip.
Louis nods, wiping the tears as they come. "Usually when Harry comes to he's pretty emotional... and he has pretty rapid mood changes.... but we get past it don't we bub?" Louis gently kisses Harry's forehead, rubbing his arm. "Hey, can you tell me your name?" Louis gently asks, brushing Harry's hair out of his face. The younger groans a little, looking at Louis and sighing. "It's alright, we'll sit you up and you can have a drink." Louis tugs him up, so his back is resting against the older boys chest. "Pass me the glass please babe." He whispers to Darcy, holding his hand out for the glass which is gently placed in his grasp.
"Ok, here you go baby... I always give H some water after a little bit, it always helps him come to a little quicker." He gently helps Harry have some water, making the younger boy sigh lightly. "You're alright babe, can you talk now?" Harry nods a little, murmuring about something a rather. "Ok baby, I think we'll take you into our room to sleep it off." So the older man quickly grabs his husband, taking him to their room and laying him on the bed.
"That's gunna be a hell of a video for dad to post.... I think you my dear, need to get some rest, I'll look after dad." Louis says, kissing Darcys head and hugging her tightly. "Thank you for all your help baby, you do so much more for me and dad then we could ever ask for." She nods, kissing his cheek and going to bed.
Before closing his eyes, Louis makes sure Harry is cuddled into his side, so he can use the younger boys warmth. "I love you H, so so much...." He whispers, half asleep, then closes his eyes.